Magnificent, hypnotically insurgent, boogie-down bubblers, with Sugar Minott at the mic, leading burnished horns and dapper, soulful backing vocals. Like a cross between Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and Armagideon.
Jerry Johnson heads out on the flip: a killer uptempo instrumental, with swirling brass over a pared-down, propulsive rhythm.

Lovers Rock utilising Delroy Francis’ tough do-over of the Java rhythm, no less; with Althea & Donna coursing through.

Super-tough, odd, scrubby sufferers with some terrific, knackered piano and quaintly acquiescent lyrics. Giddily cavernous dub. Killer Wackies.

Woozy, extended Clive Hunt instrumental. Piano-as-steel-drum. Pretty killer.

On the Chopper version of Billie Jean.

A melodica instrumental right up there with his very best cuts. A lot more exalted — Rockers International style — than his Studio One killers.

Rocksteady murder, both sides.
Val Bennett wails over a brilliantly percussive, troubled, fresh rhythm, with descending, prowling bass; Roy Man leads the heart-broken flip, with piano riding east, and rocking horns.
From the master tapes. It’s a must.

Ducking and diving between London and Kingston JA, Winston Edwards cut the Melodian on the monumental Conquering Lion rhythm in the mid-70s, covering Eddie Floyd. Dark, hurting and self-disgusted… bad tune.

On Little Roy’s Christopher Columbus.

A contender for the heaviest dub of all time.
When the Rootical Dubber had a go at reissuing Trevor Byfield and co, many years ago, he omitted this, saying it was just too awesome to mess with.

Heavy roots; thumping dub. Turns out that Moses was being discreet.

Two previously unreleased sides by this compelling singer: Get Up Natty was cut at Channel One in the mid-eighties, with backing by the Gifted Roots Band, featuring some sick synths and effects; No Peace is new, with Icho still in fine voice, debuting a rhythm by Danny Bassie from the Firehouse Crew, and Channel One legend Barnabas.

Recording as Jah Carlos in 1976. Massive, glorious Soul Syndicate rhythm, with blazing horns, soulful reasoning, tremendous dub.

Everton is compellingly beside himself, over a dazzling, bare-bones, digi do-over of the rocksteady classic Tonight.
Previously unreleased.
Fire.

Chinafrica was Wayne Chin’s next project, after his group Creole disbanded in the early-eighties.
Two shark-attack do-overs of foundational tunes, startlingly different: a deadly, sick, atmospheric Declaration Of Rights, with shades of Wackies; and a sprightly, in-your-face, digi Baba Boom Time, originally stepping out on Thunderbolt in 1987.

Minimal, deep, dazed roots, steeped in session vibes.
Featuring Sly and Robbie at Channel One, from the same master tape as Rocks And Mountains (and likewise a Shaka plate, back in the day).

‘Double-sided murder Wackie’s from 1978. Originally released on the Jumbo Caribbean Disco label from Brooklyn. Big Leg Mary is on the same rhythm as Wayne Jarrett’s killer Come Let’s Go. Wasn’t It You is a different cut from the earlier one on the Senrab label, but equally lethal. Both sides fully smoked-out dubwise trademark Wackie’s style, and essential.’

Biff, baff, boof.
Two hunks of deep Wackies roots; and an amazing, previously unreleased coup de grace.
First off, a haunting, dazed, raving account of being kicked out of a squat; with heavy bass, killer organ, sublime backing vocals, and a hurting, searing Stranger Cole. ‘We’ve got to find a better place.’
Then a tough instrumental outing on the same deadly, signature Wackies rhythm as Clive Hunt’s Black Rose, by Wanachi.
And on the flip: stark, visionary, semi-acoustic primitivism, from the same drama school as early Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus.
Unmissable Wackies.